2012/01/01

Goodbye ’11

Approaching familiar SBA we imagined a dusk landing and a cozy dinner at home to bid farewell to 2011. Instead, this odd numbered year provided some last odd gifts. First was this sunset over the Channel Islands as we passed Ventura.

8940 '11 Hangover

The overhanging cloud was an odd color that gave me a brief sense of foreboding as if 2011 had a hangover. Do you see the freckled fog on the ocean in the above shot? Here’s another look, back toward Port Hueneme with better light because the camera’s not overloaded by the sunset rays.

8948 Oxnard Blanket

Well, that fog was thicker at SBA so ’11 gave us another odd surprise by preventing our landing. So we diverted to Santa Ynez where the quiet airport greeted us with clear skies dotted with the first stars of the year’s last night. A great friend drove over to bring us home, after we cruised the lights in festive Solvang. Tomorrow we’ll drive over to bring Tripp home once the fog burns off, and hopefully our friend will join me for the short flight while Anne brings the car back. I’m excited to see what ’12 looks like! So far it’s shaping up to be a Perfect Dozen year. May ’12 be your fave year so far, overflowing with welcome surprises and joyful closeness.